The Indian men’s hockey team, reduced to 10 men in the second quarter, triumphed over Great Britain 4-2 in a shootout to advance to the Paris 2024 Olympics semi-finals on Friday. Harmanpreet Singh (22’) scored his seventh goal of the tournament, while Lee Morton (27’) netted for Great Britain, resulting in a 1-1 draw after full time.
This marks India’s second consecutive appearance in the Olympic semi-finals, following their bronze medal at Tokyo 2020. The first quarter saw both teams neutralizing each other’s offensive efforts with no goals scored.
The game changed dramatically in the second quarter when India’s Amit Rohidas received a red card after hitting an opponent’s face with his hockey stick. Despite being a man down, Harmanpreet Singh’s penalty corner drag flick put India ahead. Lee Morton equalized shortly after, slipping a shot past Indian keeper PR Sreejesh.
Great Britain dominated the third quarter with their numerical advantage, limiting India’s attacking opportunities. In the final minutes, Great Britain had several chances, but the Indian defense held firm. Sreejesh made a crucial save in a two-on-one situation, ensuring the match proceeded to a shootout.
In the shootout, Indian players Harmanpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, and Rajkumar Pal scored, while Connor Williamson missed and Sreejesh saved Phillip Roper’s shot for Great Britain. India will now face Germany in the semi-finals on Tuesday.
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